Presently in the US, 58% of people diagnosed with cancer are 65 years or older (163). Illness is an added burden to other existing or anticipated losses: loss of spouse, friends, family, loss of hearing, sight, and mobility, and reduced independence all further compromise the ability to cope with cancer and its treatment. Colon and lung cancer are more often seen in older age. In fact, 76% of people who have colon cancer and the majority of those who have lung cancer are 65 years or older (163). Lung cancer patients have the highest distress levels (43.5%), and those with colon cancer, 31.6% (162). However, many elderly patients who are severely distressed go unrecognized in the busy clinics and their distress remains undiagnosed and untreated. (165-168). Additionally, it is often difficult for patients with advanced stages of cancer to receive psychological treatment due to physical limitations and inability to come to outpatient clinics. A pilot of a study of telephone counseling for older patients is proposed to provide psychological support. It will examine the delivery over the telephone of a newly developed integrative psychotherapy with patients age 65 and older who have diagnoses of stage IV colon or stage IIIB/IV lung cancer. The psychotherapeutic model is an integrative intervention influenced by the work of Folkman (169). She found that people facing life-threatening events often coped better by finding a tolerable meaning to the event (167). Patients who complete informed consent will receive a telephone counseling intervention that includes 10 counseling sessions across approximately 10 weeks. A pre-and post-assessment will be administered before and following the intervention.